A Surveillance Camera Package may include motion detection

It was not all that long ago when the term “motion detection” was thought of in the same vein as “beam me up Scotty”, it was seen as science fiction. Well, here we are not too many years after the Starship made its last voyage and the technology has indeed made motion detection an everyday thing.

A surveillance camera package today will more often than not have cameras that are activated by motion within their range. They are now common practice in and around homes and stores. But just how do motion detector cameras work?

Theoretically the system is simple; the camera takes images at a pre-determined interval and if the image has any perceptible change the motion detector advises the alarm which is then raised. Unfortunately there are a number of issues with this approach that caused a number of problems. The camera could not be used outdoors for example, a swaying branch would set off a false alarm due to its movement, and even changing light conditions affected the detector. Initially motion detectors were best used at night when changing light conditions were not something to be concerned with.

The technology used for a surveillance camera package has changed and improved. The cameras can be adjusted for sensitivity so that a dog for example when walking past the camera will not set off the alarm. Motion detection cameras can also include an infrared sensor that works in conjunction with movement. If the camera sees that a branch has moved it does not recognize it, however if a warm body were to enter the frame the system would recognize it and set off the alarm.

A surveillance camera package using cameras which are controlled by motion or heat may not be for everyone. For people who have round the clock monitoring of the system, a full time camera is fine for the job. The idea of a camera operated by sense is to set off the alarm without intervention and too record a permanent image of the intruder or event. If the system is being monitored it will be human intervention that picks up on a possible invasion and manually call the authorities.

When people are considering a surveillance camera package their best bet is to award a monitoring contract to an outside vendor and then focus on the type of camera best suited for the circumstances. The primary decision will be; wireless or wired. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages and a security expert can help you make up your mind. It is also necessary to determine where the cameras will be installed, the type of camera and the total quantity.

Security cameras are a worthwhile investment but may be best employed when used with other security sensors on doors and windows.